


A Man Of The Right

by E_Rocc



Category: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-11
Updated: 2017-10-11
Packaged: 2019-01-16 02:27:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12333621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/E_Rocc/pseuds/E_Rocc
Summary: An honorable man from the other side deals with the Vorkosigans and their works.





	A Man Of The Right

**Author's Note:**

> "Request by Philomytha  
> Fandom:Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold 
> 
> Any characters of Miles' generation finding out about the Escobar plot"
> 
> This prompt reminded me of this old story I had lying around. Which sure enough, I never posted.

“Lieutenant, Captain Negri will see you now.”

Lieutenant Lord Bari Vorzolotobod was mildly surprised to note that his fourth audience with the head of Imperial Security was no less unnerving than his first. It wasn’t merely the raw power the man possessed. Nor was it his record of success. Not even the fact that protocol required full dress uniform for the lieutenant, while Negri wore his usual undress greens without insignia. For the most part, it was the inscrutability of the man. 

Vorzolotobod knew that his recent work on Beta Colony had been beyond excellent, though apparently ultimately meaningless. Yet for all Negri’s reaction, he might be on the verge of being charged with treason! Though still a Lieutenant, he had honed his skills well enough that the Betans, for all their vaunted psychological insight, had viewed him as nothing more than a Vor class drone, assigned to the Embassy, and after his release from internment to the treaty negotiating team, as a favor to his father the Count. 

Having obtained a copy of his own file, he knew this. At least some of his work had borne fruit. Yet with Negri, he felt as if there were a one way mirror between them. 

“Please sit down, Lord Vorzolotobod.”

Surprise One. The first time he had seen Negri, he had been Ensign Vorzolotobod, part of a group of new Academy graduates assigned to Imperial Security. The second time was his promotion, in a somewhat smaller group. The third, his latest assignment, he was “Lieutenant Vorzolotobod”, accompanied by his superior officer. Never had a seat been available, let alone offered. This time, he sat.

“Lieutenant. Your work on Beta Colony can be described as Outstanding, if one wishes to partake in understatement. 

“Thank you, Captain Negri.” 

“It is my honor to inform you that you will be presented with the Imperial Star. In Gold. Normally this award would have to be classified. The Emperor and I have decided that your obtainment of Lady Vorkosigan’s files, combined with a perception of nepotism due to my service with your father, makes this unnecessary. However, it is nothing of the kind. Indeed, quite secretly, the Emperor conveys His Thanks in His Own Voice. Were He not too ill to see more than a very few people, He would present this award, and thank you personally.”

_What?!_

“Captain Negri. I Serve The Emperor. But I do not understand. Our work in obtaining the specifications on the plasma mirror field was apparently not enough to save Prince Serg and the Escobaran invasion fleet.”

“It was an outstanding piece of work that was of critical value to the Empire.”

_His expression has not changed this whole time, but was that a slight catch in his voice? There’s something he is not saying._

“As for Lady Vorkosigan, we were able to obtain much information about her, but quite a bit was in the public domain. Even now, Betan society is nothing less than schizophrenic about her. She is officially a fugitive from justice, yet is still a hero to many and has become a sort of cult figure in some of the less savory parts of their culture. There is even a song, if one can call such noise that, called “Lady Cordelia”. Strangely enough, even Barrayarans in general have a certain odd fashionability in places there. “

“Yes, Lieutenant, as some of your men enjoyed finding out.”

“We Serve The Emperor”.

“Yes Lieutenant. I am aware that your personal conduct was above reproach. I am also aware that Ensign Vorpatril’s assignation with the Medical Service clerk allowed him to obtain some of Lady Vorkosigan’s files. There is not the slightest censure here. The mission was performed impeccably.”

_That’s a relief. What a planet! Father is right; we cannot allow such influences to pollute our culture._

‘Thank you, sir. But I still do not understand. Admiral Vorkosigan has retired, and Lady Vorkosigan cannot be considered a major figure. Yes, she will be a Countess someday. But Count Vorkosigan remains formidable and healthy. That could be some time from now.”

“Lord Vorzolotobod, this does not leave this room. In the next few days, Admiral Vorkosigan will be named Prince Gregor’s Regent upon his ascension to the Emperorship.”

_Umm…..Oh Kay. Father is not going to be happy, to say the least._

“Emperor Ezar closely read Lady Vorkosigan’s files. He is convinced, as am I, that her first loyalty will be towards her husband. Lord Vorkosigan’s competence and loyalty are beyond question.”

“This is a big step up from deputy commander in charge of disaster planning”.

_Whoa! Vorkosigan’s retreat was flawless. It was almost as if he knew...._

A frightening possibility crept into Lord Vorzolotobod‘s mind.

“True. Yet he is the Emperor’s personal choice.”

_Was there an emphasis on the word “personal” there? Did Vorkosigan know? He would have had to learn from...._

Frightening possibility transmuted to stunning probability. Could Negri read his reactions? Lord Vorzolotobod, no longer Lieutenant but cadet member of the Council of Counts, felt pole axed. The question had to be, was it visible?

Apparently not, or it didn’t matter.

“Lieutenant, I am granting you some well deserved home leave. Spend some time with your father. He’s a good man, in my personal judgement a loyal man. Please convey to him my greetings. And as a personal favor to me, once the announcement has been made please advise my old friend that Emperor Ezar’s choice, which I know will not make him happy, will not be usurped. I would personally advise that he, and of course you, remain apart from any efforts to do so.”

“Relax, Lord Vorzolotobod. I suspect neither of you. My advice is meant as courtesy. Though I am less comfortable with the reaction of Count Vordarian. I will not go so far as ask you to report on him, but I do recommend that your family be cautious.”

_Cousin Vidal. Yes, I can certainly imagine him taking more active measures. He’s been carrying that torch for Princess Kareen, even Father has commented upon it. That’s impossible if Vorkosigan is Regent. With Regent Vidal, inevitable_

_If Vorkosigan knew about the mirrors, he’s one of the three most ruthless men on this planet. One of the other two has just proclaimed his alliance with him, and the third will soon die. I cannot share my suspicions with anyone. But family duty requires that I prevent us from challenging these men._

_Especially since Captain Negri does not ask that I report on Vidal. He would not hesitate to demand such if…._

“Thank you, Captain Negri”.

“Dismissed”.

 

_Well at least they don’t have embarrassing relations…_

Colonel Lord Vorzolotobod noted the small size of Count Piotr Vorkosigan’s official mourning party as he aided his father into the first row of the Counts’ section. Count Mikhail’s position as the senior surviving Count dictated this vantage point. His infirmity necessitated his son’s accompaniment. 

Had he been wearing dress forest green instead of the sea green and old gold Vorzolotobod livery, Simon Illyan would undoubtedly have given him one or more security tasks for this funeral. Certainly a duty conducive to a few extra grey hairs, but in a real way preferable to the Count’s observations. Eighty five years and an increasing level of dotage were taking their toll on the old man’s discretion. Less so on his acerbity. 

“No wonder Piotr dropped dead. Look what he has to carry on for him. A henpecked heir, a Betan frill, and a mutie!”.

Unlike the late Count Piotr’s heir, Lord Vorzolotobod agreed with most of his father’s political views. Normally, that made his observations more tolerable, even amusing. This time he winced, though glad the Count retained the decorum to keep his voice down.

_We live in different times, Father. A woman can be a hero in two wars. Her views can sway even an otherwise irresistible force like Aral. Even to the point of allowing a physically disabled son to live._

_A son that achieved the first perfect score in the history of the Imperial Military Academy’s written entrance exam. An exam only seven of your eleven eldest grandsons even passed, Father._

_No, I don’t think I will underestimate this family._

 

_Lovely. The brandy is nearly gone. I hope that’s the first bottle. Or the second anyway._

Count Vorzolotobod allowed the major domo to finish announcing him before he proceeded into the main salon at Vormoncrief House. 

“Welcome, Count Vorzolotobod!”. Boriz Vormoncrief could be a stultifying bore at times, and was certainly fond of his brandy. But no one could fault the man’s political skills in the least. 

_Who is that twit that won’t shut up?_

“Alexi, enough for now. Come meet Count Vorzolotobod.”

_Ah, okay. A relation of some sort._

The introductions were mercifully brief. Stunningly, the Conservative Party head got right to the point.

Bar, I wanted you to meet with my son-in-law Sigur because I understand you are wavering on the Vorbretten situation. As it happens, Richars Vorrutyer is also facing a quite bizarre challenge which we have been discussing this evening. 

“I am familiar with the facts of Lady Donna’s challenge”.

“Good, I wasn’t too concerned about your support there”.

_No, as bad of a snake as Richars is, there really is no option there. I suspected Lady Donna would have been impregnated with Pierre’s clone while on Beta Colony. That might have been acceptable…barely. This is not._

“But as for the Vorbretten Countship, the ties of blood must be maintained, and clearly we can have no Cetagandan blood in the Council.”

“Count Vorbretten is blameless in this case, and he has served honorably his entire life”. 

_Plus conservative or not, your son-in-law can best be described as an amiable nonentity. Still…_

“Sigur, my doubts have nothing to do with you. I must decide that this unfortunate discovery negates the service of your cousin in the Countship. So far I have not made that decision, either way.”

_Nothing there. Certain to be dominated by his wife and father in law. His father in law is politically sound, personal issues aside. His wife is shrill and, to be polite, less sound. Her liaison with Lord Vortrifriani truly taxed her father’s skills and influence._

“Well, Count Vorzolotobod, I am certainly glad you have no such concerns regarding my most obvious claim.”

_Plenty of assertiveness there, though honor is certainly lacking. Likewise tact._

“I told you there wouldn’t be any problems, cuz. Count Vorzolotobod is entirely too familiar with Beta Colony to wish to bring it here.”

_Okay, why is Byerly Vorrutyer here? Accompanying his cousin? Look at him, if anyone would wish to bring Betan debauchery here, one would think…._

“That is good to know because…..”

The longer Richars spoke, the less registered with the Count.

_Just because he’s a snake doesn’t mean Richars isn’t capable of the most tedious pomposities, does it? Even his cousin…..hmmmmm, wait a minute. He’s watching and listening far too intently. And that brandy glass of his has barely been touched. If By doesn’t shape up, he’ll end up ruining his…._

An image from the past suddenly struck the erstwhile Lieutenant Vorzolotobod. Count Vormoncrief’s staid salon couldn’t be further removed from a raucous Betan nightclub if it were in another universe. Yet another young man, absorbing his surroundings rather than the ostensible ethanol while portraying a privileged drone, had the exact same expression on his face.

When one leaves ImpSec, one turns in his silver eyes. One does not turn in the observational and analytical skills essential to success in such an environment. Previous encounters with the younger Vorrutyer passed through Vorzolotobod’s recall. A pattern began to emerge, make sense, and become retroactively quite clear. Though certainly not obvious. Which meant some serious training was involved. 

_So what exactly is By playing at? For Allegre? Probably._

“That mutie Vorkosigan has been courting my Ekaterin!”

_Apparently Richars mentioned Lord Auditor Vorkosigan, causing Vormoncrief’s vacuous nephew to blurt out a string of outraged endearments._

“Ekaterin Vorsoisson” Byerly broke his silence in an aside to Vorzolotobod. “Lord Auditor Vorthys’s recently widowed niece. It’s actually somewhat amusing to watch.”

_I can imagine so. Vorthys may be the single shrewdest and most horseshit immune man in government and Madam Vorthys is his match in both regards. If their niece takes after them in the least, young Vormoncrief seems a tad overmatched._

_But Lord Vorkosigan is pursuing a Barrayaran Vor woman, instead of the expected galactic. Interesting._

“Hmmmph…..wasn’t he present when Tien Vorsoisson died? No doubt he used some underhanded Impsec trick to see him off! Best be careful, Alexi.

_No, Richars has no political skills, or tact, at all._

“Careful, Richars”, Count Vormoncrief advised with a wary glance at his colleague, honorably retired from Imperial Security upon assuming his Countship. “Lord Vorkosigan is one thing, but keep in mind that Admiral Vorkosigan is back in town. He’s no lightweight. “

_And his heir is? Lucas Haroche was one of the slickest sonofabitches I ever met, and it was the younger Vorkosigan that took him down._

“Though an indirect charge? There may be some benefit there…..”

_Now the Count is letting the brandy do his thinking. Imprudent allies are sometimes more dangerous than sharp adversaries. I do believe this is a battle to distance oneself from._

 

“We barely remember Our grandfather Ezar. Our primarily personal impression of Him is an old and sick man who remained a force of nature. History remembers Him as an Emperor who did not shy away from the toughest of decisions. It is Our great fortune that He had a habit of making them correctly.”

_One more time than you even know, Sire, I do suspect._

“One of those truly made Us what We are today. We mean Ourself, and We mean the Empire as a whole. We were once told what his criteria were for a regent. They included , “Ruthless enough to hold near-absolute power in this madhouse for sixteen years, and honest enough to hand over that power at the end of those sixteen years to a boy who will no doubt be an idiot”

_Pause for effect. A snort from Lord….errr….Count Vorkosigan. Vorbretten and Vorvolk as well. Empress Laisa with a cough. No reaction but a smile from Cordelia. She undoubtedly told him that line. Alys remains completely composed, of course, but those who laughed out loud undoubtedly included Ivan._

“As it turns out, events proved Him to be correct once again, with more than a little assistance from Us. “

_Recognizing and absolving those who see Gregor as a man with a sense of humor. He learned well how to lead._

“Grandfather didn’t mention a couple of the things that made His choice of Regent not merely a successful one but a great one. One that history will place on the level of Dorca, and of Grandfather himself. “

He did not learn how to make the toughest of decisions and stand behind them from Grandfather. More likely, they both learned this from Count Piotr Vorkosigan. It was in Count Aral’s blood. Two generations helped build Our Family into worthy leaders for Our Empire……”

“I’m sorry, Count Vorzolotobod. I’m not quite used to responding to that title yet.”

Miles turned to shake hands with a distinguished looking Count in his mid sixties. Bari Vorzolotobod stood behind only the elderly Count Vorhalas as the ideological conscience of the Conservative Party. While too bluntly independent minded to claim the party leadership, Vorzolotobod was firmly opposed to excessive liberalization of Barrayaran government or society. Considering Emperor Gregor’s known Progressive sympathies, it was ironic that he was likely the most uncompromising defender of Imperial power and prerogative on the Council. 

“It took me awhile myself. I’m sure you weren’t exactly chomping at the bit, already holding the de facto role and even a higher rank of sorts. Only five men have spoken with the Emperor’s Voice before they became a Count, and you and your father were two of them.”

“Six, actually. Two Regents, three Auditors who later inherited countships, and the fourth Count Arkady Vorvayne temporarily served as a Ninth Auditor before he Inherited”

“Impressive fact to know”

“Well, Ekaterin was a Vorvayne. As was her Aunt Helen.”

_And what she doesn’t know about the history of the Vor has been lost to the ages._

“It’s actually more confusing to Countess Vorkosigan. Ekaterin, that is. There’s two people the speaker might be addressing, when Mother is around. Of course, she will remain Vicereine of Sergyar.”

_It’s well known that Gregor has no plans to name another Viceroy._

“Though as it turns out we will be spending the next couple months on Sergyar in her stead. She has been putting off a visit to Beta Colony for years. The trade hub with Escobar is about to open and things on Chaos Col…..errr…Sergyar are booming, so leadership is needed. But we will be her delegates, nothing more. She has more than earned the right to keep her Vicereinaty, and I declined to accede to her request to Gregor to name me Viceroy.”

_Yes, the new Count Vorkosigan may be wrong on many things. But he does have honor. It makes him a valuable partner when our interests coincide, and a worthy foe when they do not._

_Like his father._

“Escobaran trade through Sergyar seems ironic, in light of the incident involving the bugs.”

Well, Mark dealt with that. An Escobaran corporation quietly bought out Dr. Borgos’s creditors. They then reached a deal where they had exclusive rights to market the butterbugs on Escobar and certain points beyond on the Nexus. Escobaran law is somewhat odd in that the victims may cancel fraud charges in return for compensation.

_Yes,”certain points beyond on the Nexus”. Including Beta Colony. And Earth._

“That sounds quite lucrative for them”

“Well, Mark and Lord Vorsmythe put together a group of investors that bought a piece of the corporation.”

_Yes, they did indeed. This family is shrewd as well. Worthy partners. At times politically._

_And certainly economically._


End file.
